


Letters from Linda

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Christmas, Friendship, Gen, Letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Each December Linda Ellacott sends a Christmas card to her friend Betty
Relationships: Girlfriends, Linda Ellacott - Relationship
Comments: 16
Kudos: 33





	1. Christmas 2004

Dear Betty,

It’s been quite a year here in Masham, as you know.Your phone calls and the short visit we managed in Harrogate really were life-savers you know.But things appear to be turning around.Michael talked Robin into a defensive driver course and it really got her out of the house.She’s still very quiet and withdrawn but she’s better when her boyfriend from school Matthew comes around.He’s been very good with her.He calls and visits whenever he is home from uni.

In other news, Stephen’s got a girlfriend, Jenny, who lives in Harrogate and whom he met at a school dance two years ago.Apparently they stayed in touch even though she was at a different school, and finally started going out.He brought her home during their last school break and I like her a lot.She’s a plain country girl and good for Stephen.She is more lively than he is and likes to be out and about, but we still had a really good time together last week making Christmas cookies.Keep your fingers crossed!

Jonathan’s thriving in his new flat and loves his restaurant job.He does a lot of what he calls prep work, chopping things for the chef, but he’s learning more about ordering supplies and working the bookings.The hours are odd—he doesn’t get up until very late in the morning and he’s not off work most nights until after midnight—but he doesn’t seem to mind.I’m happy for him and amazed at how hard he’s working at this.

Martin is, well, he’s Martin. No broken bones this year.Not yet anyway—but we still have almost three weeks of the year to go!He’s working at the brewery, mostly physical labor, but he is doing ok at it and saving his money so he can take paragliding lessons.I know!We all live in dread--or we would be, except he is always finding things to spend those savings on before he has enough built up to learn to break more bones flying one of those contraptions.The last item was a new video game console.He’s still living at home.At least we are close at hand the next time he falls off a horse, roof or quad bike!

Michael and I are the same, mellowing with time I hope.He’s busy with the sheep and the farm keeps me busy as well.I put up lots of vegetables from my garden this summer and now I’m helping out part time with the Girl Guides.Gets me out of the house, which is good. 

I hope you are doing well, Betty.I miss seeing you but I know your life revolves around family just the way mine does.We’ll take that trip to Spain together one day, though.Promise!

Love from Linda


	2. Christmas 2009

Dear Betty,

Time flies, doesn’t it?!I hope you and Charles are still doing fine and that the kids are not driving you crazy over the school holidays. We’ve already had our share of excitement this year as Martin wrecked the Land Rover a couple of weeks ago and broke his collarbone.Michael found a replacement door at the salvage yard so the boys will repair it with him during the Christmas break.We made Martin pay for the repairs out of his salary from the brewery.He’s doing well at work and got a promotion but I wonder if he’ll stay put long term. 

Jonathan has changed jobs.He’s at the brewery now as well, working in their kitchen.He says he likes being a chef and we’ve certainly enjoyed the meals he’s made here at the house.He cooks for us sometimes on his rare days off.Stephen and Jenny are getting engaged at Christmas.He bought a ring for her that he’ll surprise her with on Christmas Day.I think she already knows he’s planning this but she won’t spoil the surprise.They are a good match as she’ll make a great farmer’s wife.I think it’s likely they’ll move into the old farmhouse at her family’s place next spring but real plans have to wait until they are formally engaged. 

Robin is planning to move to London with her boyfriend in the next couple of months.Matthew passed his first ACA qualification at the end of October and found a job in London where he’ll work while studying to become a chartered accountant.I was a little surprised that they haven’t become engaged yet but I suspect Matt’s mother has had a hand in delaying that.He’s a little bit of a momma’s boy and from what Robin has let drop, she’s having a hard time letting go of her son.His sister is just married so that must make it harder since there are only the two children in the family. Robin’s looking forward to moving to London.She’ll get a clerical job there, much like the ones she’s had here since she dropped out of school.In a way that’s a waste but we have been worried about her going back to school away from the family.She seems recovered but she’s still not the old Robin. She’s more subdued.Matt will start his job in February so he’s going to London after the New Year to look for a flat for the two of them.Cross your fingers that London bustle isn’t too much for her!

Well, enough about the kids.Michael is busy planning for next year’s lambs.Hopefully there will be a good market for fleece as we are moving more toward selling wool than lamb.Jonathan thinks lamb is less in demand now and as a chef, he probably knows.I keep busy and I might take up knitting again.Marketing our wool to knitters means I need to know the latest.Hope you and yours are doing well.Can’t wait to hear back from you!

  
Hope you and yours are doing well.Can’t wait to hear back from you!

Love from Linda


	3. Christmas 2010

Dear Betty,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody! I hope you are healthy and happy and excited to be visiting us for Robin’s coming wedding in a couple of months. We’ve been busy planning it these days, although Robin’s not as excited as I would have hoped. She’s never been one of those little girls who has planned her wedding since she started school, though, so I shouldn’t be surprised. We like Matthew, though, and we are looking forward to their union. Stephen and Jenny are planning a wedding for late summer as well, so this is going to be a good year. I’m not having to do as much planning for that, thank goodness, as Jenny and her mom are in charge there. Stephen and Jenny have already moved into the old farmhouse on her family’s farm and are very busy fixing it up in every spare moment. All of us pitched in and helped paint it fresh last summer and Michael has built them a kitchen table from an old oak tree that came down on the farm a couple of years back. He had it milled into boards that have been aging in the barn, just waiting to make something really special. I’ve enclosed a photograph of the table with Stephen and Jenny for you to see.

I’ve also enclosed a pair of mittens I made for you from our very own wool. There’s a woman who spins fleece into yarn near Harrogate so I got her to do some of our best fleece for me. Some of it I sell at the Women’s Institute but I saved some to make us all mittens and socks. The mittens are faster to make, especially since I’ve not figured out the sizing for socks yet. Everyone has different sized feet but hands are much more standard among us all. Hope you like them.

Martin and Jonathan are not dating anyone seriously as of yet so no weddings in their near future. I am glad. Two are enough for one year! Jonathan is still at the brewery and enjoying every minute cooking there. We get a lot of summer tourists now so he is kept on his toes. He’s getting into baking, trying out a bunch of recipes on us. Why we don’t all weigh two stone more I have no idea! Martin’s moved on from the brewery and now is apprenticing with the local blacksmith, learning to make horseshoes and shoe horses. It seems to suit him. He’s outside most of the time and working with his hands. I am glad he’s learning a trade. Of course he won’t be able to use it in a larger town but that’s just as well. All the kids except Robin are living close to Masham and I admit I like that. 

I worry about Robin being in big city London. She worked as a temp for a while, then took on a clerical job in a one-man office, working for a private detective. It seems very hand-to-mouth to me, and it makes me uneasy but she loves it. I’ve met her boss, who is a big guy with a lame leg. Not much of a looker but he’s interesting to talk to and not the sort of person you’d ever overlook. Somehow he commands attention. I think Matthew’s a bit jealous of him. I know he tried to pressure Robin into another type of job but Robin’s still my stubborn little girl and she refuses to leave. So I’ve not said anything to her about it although I’m tempted. I have hopes that she and Matt will come back to Yorkshire but that is looking increasingly unlikely unless he decides to come back and take over his father’s property development business. Matt’s future is in London, so I guess Robin’s future is there as well. 

I’ve enclosed some newspaper articles for you to read. The private detective they talk about in them is Robin’s boss. She helped solve these cases, too, but the thing that bothers me is her boss was attacked by the murderer of that poor model and Robin walked in on the attack. She hit the murderer over the head and called the police and ambulance! Then Robin herself had a concussion during a second case when the murderer she was helping to catch crashed the car Robin was driving. It’s not a safe job, Betty. I don’t know what to do. If Matt can’t get her to change to a better paid, safer job, I doubt I’ll be able to. Do you think I should try? I’ve thought about trying to get Strike to fire her for her own safety—we get along ok—but I think he’ll tell me it’s Robin’s choice. Read these and call me so we can talk about this. 

Sorry this is so long but I am worried and I’d like your advice. Hope to see you at Robin’s wedding. You are such a comfort to me! Hope everyone is ok at your end. Tell Charles hello from us. 

Love from Linda


	4. Christmas 2011

What a year this has been!I was so happy to see you at Robin’s wedding!It was fabulous to have that time to catch up. As you know, the wedding was rather dramatic as Robin’s boss showed up freshly injured from catching the serial killer who had attacked her.What you don’t know is what happened right after the ceremony. 

A week before the wedding, Robin and her boss had a big fight because she went to a child molester’s house and told his girl friend what he was capable of.The guy tried to beat her up but Robin—thank goodness!—had someone with her (No, I don’t know who and she was very vague about it when we asked.) who drove the guy off.We were upset but Strike was even more so.He came to Robin’s flat while I was there and fired her.Matt and I heard most of it from the other room.They weren’t exactly keeping their voices down.Matt was so relieved!He hated that job of hers.I wasn’t exactly thrilled at what she had done myself. But she was devastated at losing that job.

Back to the ceremony.Apparently Strike thought better of firing her and called her and left a message on her phone apologizing.Matt somehow intercepted the message, deleted it and blocked his number so he couldn’t call again.Robin found out and she was madder than I’ve ever seen her.They had a shouting match in the bridal suite that we walked in on.I was pretty mad myself.That was way over the line, to hide her calls and tamper with her phone.The whole family got in on the act, both ours and Matt’s shouting at each other, and it ended when Martin gave Matt a bloody nose.

Well, it all calmed down then and they went on their honeymoon and I thought that was the end of it.She went back to working with Strike.I know she loves that job but she’s not been the same since the wedding.When she and Matt came home Christmas she’d lost weight and she’s more closed in.She says she is fine but she’s really not.Betty, I am so worried about her!She’s not like she was after the attack, but she’s not herself.Matt says everything is fine and he appears happy.His job is going well, he just got a promotion, and he says they have lots of friends in London, although Robin never talks about anyone except occasionally she mentions her boss in passing.I wish you were here to see her and talk to her. Maybe she would tell you what’s going on in that head of hers.She won’t talk to me.She just says “I’m fine, Mum,” and changes the subject.Michael says to leave her alone, that she has to work out whatever is bothering her on her own.I am going to London for the after Christmas sales next month and I’m going to try and ask Strike about this.He probably knows what is going on better than we do, working with her all the time. 

I don’t mean to go on and on about this.Sorry.It’s just on my mind.I do have some happy news.Stephen and Jenny are expecting!The baby is due in late June.We are very pleased and as excited as they are.I’m going to be a grandmother! Don’t know if it will be a boy or girl.Stephen and Jenny decided they didn’t want to know ahead of time.The other boys are about the same, Martin’s blacksmithing seems to suit him.He’s outside a lot and working with the local farmers and their animals, which he likes.Jonathan is really doing well at the brewery.He got a nice raise this year and more responsibility for the menus.He told me in confidence he’s going to try for a job at Swinton Park, just to have that on his resume.Jonathan’s more ambitious than I realized. 

Well, that’s the news.I hope all your family is doing well and that you have that arthritic knee looked at but you need to get the process rolling because it takes a long time for the specialist appointment.They can do wonders with replacements these days.Michael sends his love and so do I.

Love from Linda


	5. Christmas 2012

Happy Holidays, Betty!I’m so happy to hear the knee replacement went well and that you are dashing around almost like when we were teenagers.It was fun to talk so often this fall once the fallout from Robin’s breaking up with Matthew was over.Well, the divorce process is taking a long time but that is to be expected.I never thought he’d cheat on Robin.I believed they were in it for the long haul, but she hasn’t been herself for a long time.Perhaps she knew about this other woman long before she finally broke it off with him.It was a girl he dated in uni who lives in London now.Turns out she was engaged to Matt’s best friend, too.What a mess.I can’t believe how people treat their marriage vows these days!

Robin is a lot better now that the divorce is proceeding.She has a shared flat with an actor, a nice boy, a bit flamboyant but he seems kind.She talks about various friends she has dinner with, a married couple (doctor and lawyer), a girlfriend who is on the police force, some people in her self-defense classes, and a neighbor in her flat block she sometimes has dinner with.She’s not dating anyone, she says she isn’t ready and that would just be ammo for Matt in their divorce.She's probably right.Who knew he would be such a shit?!Sorry for my language but his real nature has come out.He’s accusing Robin of cheating on him—as if she would! and trying to keep all their savings for himself (including the money we gave them when they married), refusing to cooperate in signing paperwork, the whole nine yards.To top it all off, apparently that woman he was seeing is about to have his baby!Doesn’t look like he’s in a hurry to marry her, does it?We hear he lost his job, too. The accounting firm he was with doesn’t like such goings on.The woman was engaged to a friend of Matt’s who worked at the firm.They were both let go, although that was hardly fair on the other man even though he did punch Matt in the nose at work.

Speaking of babies, Stephen and Jenny’s Sally is a delight.She’s six months old next Tuesday and has her first tooth already!She is a good baby, sleeping through the whole night now, eating well, and growing like a weed.She’s alert, too.And she sometimes smiles at me when I go over to babysit.I just love her!Martin and Jonathan also babysit her occasionally.I was a bit worried that they’d trust Sally to Martin but he’s amazingly protective.He’ll make a good father one day.Not that there’s anyone on the horizon for either him or Jonathan but they’re young yet. 

Maybe that’s where Robin went wrong.She got married too young.Of course you and I got married much younger than that, but times have changed and the young men are not as reliable as they used to be.Speaking of reliable, the old Land Rover we bought when we first got married is still running.Robin drives it in London.With traffic the way it is down there, she doesn’t take it out much but sometimes she drives Strike places when they have a job on.His artificial leg makes driving stick shifts difficult for him.I’m going to see him when I go to London for the after Christmas sales.Robin says he wants to take us to lunch.He does have nice manners. 

I just wish Robin had chosen a safer career but he tells me she knows what she is doing. She thinks Strike’s over-protective.I heard them arguing about it last January when I was up visiting London.At least he’s keeping an eye on her.Stephen says he believes when the divorce comes through she and Strike will get together.How fanciful boys are!She always liked good-looking men, which her boss is not.I’ve also been sneakily looking him up online and seen some of the women he’s gone out with.What they see in him, I have no idea but Robin’s not in their league.Every one is drop dead gorgeous!HIs family is, well, that father of his! Of course nothing he can do about that.Strike’s impressive, though, with medals and he went to Oxford, too.Dropped out and joined the military when his mother died but there’s no shame in serving your country.Plus he’s really good at the detecting.I’ve enclosed a few more newspaper articles about their cases for you to see.Robin’s even mentioned in some of them but no pictures of her and the one of him is old and not great.He’s much more impressive in person, although he’s ten years older than Robin.She needs a nice reliable boy her own age. 

Speaking of boys our own age, how’s Charles?I was glad to hear the shingles didn’t slow him down much.Michael got the vaccination two years ago, thank goodness.The wool business is good and the farm’s making money.We have a little saved again after the downtown three years back.Farming is a good living overall but there are lean times.We are trying to put some aside for the kids as we are hoping Martin and Jonathan will get married one day and of course we’ll help Robin when or if she settles down again. And little Sally will need things as she gets older.

Well, enough chatter.Good to hear from you.Maybe one day we’ll splurge on that vacation in Spain!

Love from Linda


End file.
